Graffito

GRAFFITO is the third Ravenna collection of poetry from Seattle poet John Burgess. He uses found text, overheard conversations and input from documentaries to create riffs that build on their own internal rhythm and musicality. In short poems replete with literary and political allusiveness, John tags manmade and natural worlds alike with inspiration coming from experiences and Walking through NYC. Pilgrimage to the fire watch on Desolation. The passing of Masanobu Fukuoka, the tribal elder of natural farming. The Aurora Bridge as working-class icon. UFO sightings. War and drinking, embodied by his uncle, a Vietnam vet. More punk poems, short outbursts and obituaries (e.g., Ronald Reagan, Hunter S. Thompson, Robin Blaser), coupled with their Spanish versions by Raul Sanchez.